Review: Carschooling
* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *
Have you ever heard of the book Carschooling, by Diane Flynn Keith? I’d heard of it and even had a friend who got her van totally set up and stocked up for carschooling. However, being a homebody myself, I never did take the time to read the book. I’m excited that the author recently offered me the opportunity to review her book.
I discovered that carschooling isn’t just for those homeschooling families who run the roads daily. It’s also very useful for those of us who need to make those inevitable trips to the bank, post office, grocery store, or doctor’s office during our homes’ school hours.
Previously, I thought that when those inevitable errands or appointments came up, I had only four choices: pack up the school books and bring them with us, rush to finish school before the appointment, try to get everyone back into school mode once we got home (a nearly impossible feat), or miss school altogether that day. Carschooling, with its 350+ games and activities, has helped me to see that there are many fun and educational things to do that can help to make the most of time spent in the car.
Carschooling is filled with the author’s own tips, plus those gleaned from carschooling families all over the country. The tips cover everything from the basic school subjects – even physical education! – to ideas for getting and staying organized in the car.
My favorite chapter was probably Carschooling Science because many of the tips and facts, to me, were just interesting tidbits that would be helpful for a parent to know just to toss out randomly during time spent driving the kids to and from activities or running errands.
You’ll find practical tips throughout the book, including the twelve essentials for carschooling or, one of my favorites, using a large, rectangular plastic box for storage because it can double as a table. Additionally, each chapter is peppered with “ready resources” directing you to great resources at your library, local bookstore, or on the web.
School subjects covered in Carschooling include:
- Science
- Math
- Language Arts
- Social Sciences
- Geography
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Foreign Languages
- Physical Education and Health
- Electives
- Recess
As you can see, it’s all covered and it’s much more than just audio books or DVDs on a portable DVD player. Additionally, there are chapters on getting started and getting organized. There is also a section entitled “Sample Curricula by Age and Grade,” which offers suggestions on which activities are best suited for various age and ability levels.
After having read the book, I know that I wouldn’t use it to set up a whole, fully stocked, carshooling-ready van because, the fact remains, I am a homebody. However, it makes a great resource, chock-full of fun activities that any family who finds themselves on the road for short errands or longer excursions, such as family vacations, can use to make the trip more educational and enjoyable.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The post contains affiliate links. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
thanks for the review – sounds like that might be super for us.
I've never heard of "carschooling", but what a great idea! I don't do running around too often, but when I do OMG what a pain! I live 20 miles out of town so its always an entire day of errands! I load the kids up and books, worksheets and papers something always gets lost or crumpled. Sometimes they can't miss a day and its our only choice to school in the car. I got to take a look at this book. I need all the tips I can get with this!
Thanks♥
interesting- sounds like something worth looking into before a road trip!
This was very interesting to me. I also thought carschooling was about schlepping books to or storing them in the vehicle. It sounds much more appealing and doable to me now.